Bent
by diabolique
Summary: AU fic. Ken's the new mechanic on board the Weiss Kreuz. Everyone's keeping secrets and now someone's hunting them down. What could be so special about Aya? Rating may go up later.
1. Prologue

_If I fall along the way  
Pick me up and dust me off  
And If I get too tired to make it   
Be my breath so I can walk  
And if I need some of your love again  
Give me more than I can stand  
When my smile gets old and faded  
Wait around I'll smile again.  
  
_

_  
Shouldn't be so complicated   
Just hold me and then   
Oh, Just hold me again.  
  
_

_  
Can you help me?   
I'm bent  
I'm so scared that I'll never   
Get put back together  
Keep breaking me in   
And this is how we live   
With you and me...  
Bent.   
  
_

_  
If I couldn't sleep  
could you sleep?  
Could paint me better off?  
Could you sympathize with my needs?  
I know you think I need a lot.  
  
_

_  
I started out clean   
but I'm jaded -  
Just phoning it in   
Oh, just breaking my skin.  
  
_

_  
Can you help me?  
I'm bent.  
I'm so scared that I'll never  
Get put back together  
Keep breaking me in  
And this is how we will live   
With you and me...  
Bent.  
  
_

_  
Start bending is never enough  
till I feel all your pieces.  
Start bending me  
keep bending un...  
till I'm completely broken in.   
  
_

_  
Shouldn't be so complicated.  
Just touch me and then  
Oh, Just touch me again.  
  
_

_  
Can you help me?  
I'm bent.  
I'm so scared that I'll never  
get put back together.  
Keep breaking me in  
and this how we will live   
with you and me...  
Bent.  
  
_

_  
Without out understanding  
Hell I'll go there again.  
  
_

_  
Can you help me?  
I'm bent.  
I'm so scared that I'll never  
get put back together.  
Yeah you're breaking me in  
and this is how we will live   
with you and me...  
Bent._

**_Bent - Matchbox Twenty._******

"Fuck!" Ken swore under his breath, yanking this thumb up to his mouth and quickly sucking on the small trickle of blood that had already started to well out of the cut. Glaring angrily at the cause of all his problems, he swore again softly under his breath.

The stupid thermostat had been on the fritz for days, causing their cabins to be either blazingly hot or freezing cold with no middle ground. Originally everyone had just ignored the problem but the continual lack of comfort was wearing everyone's tempers rather thin. Omi had begged him today to fix the problem, his lower lip pouting and warm blue eyes water logged and pleading. It was the patented 'I'm just a helpless little boy and don't you want to help me' expression that Omi wore to get things he didn't want to do done by the rest of the crew. Ken had to admit that he was just as helpless against it as anyone else. Shrugging, he had headed down to the boiler room to see if he could salvage the thermostat, but the stupid thing seemed hell bent on cutting him, shocking him or making his life miserable in general.

Sighing deeply, he moved to the only window in this area of the ship and gazed out. The blank darkness of space greeted him, one or two planets floating hazily on the horizon. Leaning his head against the reinforced glass, he watched his breath fog the surface. From what he had been able to pry out of Ran, the nearest spaceport was at least four days away, three _if _they hurried. He had, however, refused to provide an explanation for the sudden need to dock in.

Ken had checked over the supplies. The kitchen stores seemed to be holding up quite well. They would last for another two months or so, give or take one of Youji's eating sprees. The fuel tanks had recently been evaluated and seemed to be half full. They didn't really need any new appliances. So the only actual reason that Ran would be willing to risk exposure would be… Aya-chan.

Ken sighed again, deeper this time. Aya-chan's medicine must be running low again. When he had first signed up on the ship as the mechanic, he had been informed of her vegetative state. It had taken him months to actually work up enough courage to ask Ran why he hadn't placed her in a proper care facility. Ken shuddered now at the memory of the rage that had blazed at him out of the normally cool redhead's violet eyes. He hadn't received an answer that day… and he had never bothered to ask the question again.

The ship's pilot, Omi, had taken him aside to explain.

"Don't ask Ran about Aya-chan… not if you want to stay alive on this ship at any rate."

"But why? I really don't get it. I mean, I have nothing against having her on the ship and all… but wouldn't it be better if she got some professional care. I mean… what if something happens. We aren't equipped to handle –"

Omi had bristled almost as much as Ran had at those words.

"We are just as equipped as any care facility on any planet! You don't even know what you're really talking about! There is here than you can see, Ken. Youji is one of the best medics around and he's had years of dealing with comatose patients. Besides, Aya wouldn't be safe in a hospital…"

The younger boy had then paled, as if appalled at what his anger had let him give out. Sending him a nervous glance from beneath honey colored bangs, he had blundered on into speech.

"I mean, those people wouldn't really care about her. She'd just be another patient to them, you know. She wouldn't be Aya-chan… the way she is to us..."

Ken had been skeptical about this explanation but hadn't pushed the topic any further. It was blatantly obvious from their avoidance of all major spaceports and their ferrying of unauthorized packages for a price that they were hiding out from the law.

Ken had no problems with any of that. If anything, it was part of the reason he had signed on. His former lover, Kase, was a pretty well known politician. Ken had wanted out of the relationship and Kase had proved quite difficult. He had been jogging on his usual path along the docking bays that day when Kase had accosted him that final time. Even now, he could almost smell the sour fumes of whisky and dried sweat that had floated off the larger man.

Kase had followed him into an alley and slammed him against a wall. A few people had been milling about, but none had bothered to look in the direction of what was considered a rather common occurrence. They probably thought it was a mugging, and those smart enough to recognize the tall, blond man from his campaign pictures took care to make themselves scarce.

The harsh feel of bricks against his back had temporarily winded Ken. And before he had known it, he had had an extremely threatening, vaguely drunken Kase pressed up against him, leering into his face.

"Kenken… what a surprise… I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

Ignoring the man's obvious attempts to disconcert him and his revulsion at his old pet name, Ken had shoved at the large chest that had loomed over his shorter, slightly stockier form.

"Get the hell off me Kase! Let me through!"

"I really don't think so Kenken" the man had purred malevolently "you see, I'm just a little upset that all your stuff is missing from the apartment. I didn't realize you wanted to shift to that fleabag motel so much. But I'm afraid I don't sleep well on old sheets. I've had it all moved back."

Ken had stared at him incredulously before his temper had spiked. His words were rather rash and unthought.

"What the hell are you thinking Kase! We broke up remember? Broke… up… does it make it easier to understand when I say it slower? Now get the fuck off me before I call the cops!"

Those had obviously been the wrong words to threaten the older man with. His fist sank into Ken's stomach, causing the brunette to collapse slightly onto Kase's shoulder. His eyes had burned with tears of pain and anger as Kase pulled his hair back to whisper in his ear –

"You'll move back, Ken, and you'll do it today! I've had enough of your childish antics! Call the cops indeed… Do you really think that any of them would risk themselves going up against me? You really are a fool!"

Some sort of choked whimper must have escaped his throat then because Kase's eyes had softened slightly.

"Why do you make me do this, Ken? You know how much I hate to fight. Just get your stuff and we'll go back to the apartment. If you play your cards right, I might even spend the night…"

Even now, the memory of Kase's hand on him, touching him, stroking him while blaming him could make him nauseous. He had felt helpless, smothered in the knowledge of the greater strength of the older man who refused to let him go. About to make a huge mistake and give in, he had been halted by the sound of ringing that had emerged from Kase's pocket.

The tall blond had frowned slightly before answering the phone, moving away slightly and yet keeping the brunette pinned against the wall with one hand. A whispered conversation had then commenced. From Kase's face and what he could hear, Ken had deduced that there was some sort of trouble within the parliament. Kase had taken off almost immediately, a final threat thrown at Ken before hurrying back to wherever he had parked his car and bodyguards.

"Go home Ken. I'll be there in a few hours. You'd better be there… or else! Don't force me to come get you again."

And then he had been alone with his fear. Stumbling out from the alley, he had kept his eyes lowered before jogging half-heartedly towards the apartment. He had no intention of being there when Kase got back, but he'd need some money and clothes before he took off again. Maybe he'd try a different planet this time… just changing his city had obviously not worked.

He hadn't been paying much attention to his surroundings, and had barely covered a few feet before he had bumped into a tall figure. Packages had flown in every which direction, two of them hitting the other man and Ken had sworn as a sharp pain against his arm alerted him to the cigarette burn.

Looking up he had encountered a pair of very pissed off hazel-green eyes, partially hidden behind dark glasses that had slid down a slender nose. The man had picked himself up almost immediately and was frowning over an obviously broken electronic thermometer – the long type that was used in… rectal examinations.

Making a face, Ken instinctively scooted back a little. He had always hated those things! The indignity… the coldness! Grimacing in disgust, he noted the faintly amused expression on the other man's face.

"I'm not going to stick it up _your_ ass, you know. And even if I really wanted to two minutes ago – it's broken now, so there goes all my luck."

Ken had gaped at the man for a few seconds before flushing deeply red. Highly amused, the man had moved forward to help him up off the ground, his glasses sliding even further down his nose with the tilt of his head. The eyes had scanned his carefully before the blond had nodded slightly.

"I guess we might as well introduce ourselves. You've already broken my brand new thermometer, so all the romance has seeped out of this encounter. I'm Youji. And you're – "

Blushing slightly, Ken had moved to take the offered hand, quickly pulling himself upright. He had avoided the taller man's eyes while he helped gather the packages. Stuttering slightly, he tried to apologize.

"I'm Ken. Gomen about the thermometer – I can fix it if you want…"

"Really now" Youji had drawled "and how will you do that? Not that I'm averse to prolonging this encounter, but I'd hate for you to promise something that you can't deliver."

Ken's receding blush flamed all over again and he stuttered.

"Iie. I really do know how to fix it. It's really quite simple. I'm a mechanic, or at least I used to be…"

Lost in his own memories, he hadn't seen Youji pass a considering look over him, before jerking him out of his recollections by shoving the thermometer into his hands.

"Go ahead then. Let's see what you've got."

Ken had looked completely blank before staring at Youji. The blond had endured the scrutiny for a while before fidgeting slightly.

"What?! I've never used it if that's what you're wondering…"

The brunette had choked at that. A light tint of red had blazed across the blonde's cheeks as well.

"Iie! I just… need some tools…"

The two of them had stared at each other for another moment before Youji stated to chuckle. Ken's lips had started to twitch as well. Before he had known it, the two of them were laughing heartily, almost holding each other up. Still chuckling slightly as the laughter petered off, Youji had motioned to Ken to follow him.

"Heh heh. Should have guessed. Come on then. Let's go get you some tools. We'll have to go to the Weiss Kreuz though."

"Weiss Kreuz?"

"My ship… or rather, Ran's ship that I've signed up on. It's just a few minutes away. I was almost home free when you ran into me"

"Ah… gomen…"

"It's cool. Stop apologizing now. You've said you'll fix it and I'm going to hold you to that promise or…"

Ken gulped slightly.

"Or… what?"

"Or else… you've got to buy me a new one. What did you think?"

"…"

"Ken?"

"Ah… heh heh… it doesn't matter. Let's go!"

Ken grinned at his reflection in the glass, enjoying this section of his memories. He hadn't known then that the chance encounter with Youji would result in him signing on with the others and joining the rather small crew of the Weiss Kreuz. He had silently followed the blonde, helping carry some of the packages.

His first sight of the ship had been rather memorable. Sandwiched between two large freighter ships, the reddish brown hulk had seemed so tiny and insubstantial. A large white cross was painted near the prow but the paint was flaking. The ship looked old… really old.

Some of his thoughts must have shown in his expression because Youji had laughed heartily. Slamming the side of the ship and causing even more rust and paint to flake off, the blonde grinned at him and remarked.

"Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."

Confused, Ken had looked at him. Chuckling slightly, Youji had sauntered up the walkway.

"Before your time Toto. Now come on."

Toto? Frowning slightly, Ken had followed Youji up the walkway. The ship had been much larger inside than he had assumed. Moving through a maze of empty corridors, he had ended up in what seemed to be the recreational room of the ship with a large couch, a single padded chair, a few tables and books. A pair of glasses with thin frames lay on the end table beside the chair. The atmosphere was quiet, serene and quite… comfy. A voice at his elbow startled him.

"Welcome to the wonderful world of boredom! I keep telling Ran that we need to add some sort of music system or something, but noooo…"

Slightly bewildered, Ken had listened to Youji ramble on – something about antisocial redheads and bookish icicles? Accepting the box of tools that the blond had thrust into his hands, he tuned the other man out and started work on the broken mechanism in his hand. Could the heat mechanism have been jarred in the fall? Or could it be the central chip…

Concentrating deeply, he made a few adjustments before handing the now functioning thermometer back to the still ranting blonde. Youji had looked at the working thermometer and then thrown him a searching look.

"Hmmnnn…"

"What?"

"Well, I can see that it's on. But what if it doesn't read temperature correctly. We should check it… just to make sure…"

Holding the thermometer threateningly, Youji had advanced, playfully leering at him. Ken had been confused… then panicked completely and whirled around to run as far away from the madman as he could get. Unfortunately, Ken's sense of direction was not the best. Moving down an unfamiliar corridor, he turned quickly to the right and dodged behind a metal support beam. Youji ran past him, cackling maniacally.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ken had started to walk in the direction opposite to that which Youji had taken. Unfortunately, the corridor had looked completely different from the one he remembered using to get onto the ship. Confused, he had wandered around in circles for a while before giving up and knocking on one of the doors.

No one had answered. Pushing the panel, he had watched the door slide open to what he now knew to be Omi's room. Looking at the jumble of appliances all over the room, the unmade bed and the discarded t-shirts on the bed, he had recognized a kindred soul. Unfortunately, none of this had helped him any. Moving further down the corridor, the next room he knocked on was empty as well. When he looked in, the room was so Spartan, that if it hadn't been for the small pile of books on the bedside table, he would have assumed it was uninhabited. He now knew that this was Ran's room and steered carefully away from it.

Skipping a few rooms, he opened the last room in the line without knocking, fairly certain by this point that the ship was deserted with the exception of Youji. And finding the blonde that wanted to shove a cold projectile up his nether regions didn't appeal to Ken.

Pushing the door open, he was surprised to find a young girl asleep on the bed, monitors beeping softly in the background. Her dark hair was combed back carefully and if not for the small tubes attached to her body, Ken would have simply assumed that she was resting. Backing out of the room as quietly as possible, he turned and encountered Ran Fujimiya for the first time.

Ken gulped at the memory of the cold violet eyes that had flamed with anger. The man had actually lifted him off the ground and thrown him into the opposite wall. Before he had had the chance to recover his breath, the sharp edge of a blade was at his throat.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

"I… I'm Ken… Hidaka…"

"You think you can take Aya away that easy? Did you really think that I'd ever leave her unguarded! Tell your damn superiors that as long as I'm alive they'll never get Aya!"

"I… I…"

"Or better yet… die! SHI NE!"

"Oh shit! RAN! STOP!"

Youji had run up along the corridor and shouted just in time. For a moment, Ken was convinced that Ran wasn't going to stop but then, the blade had returned to its position under his chin.

"Youji. Explain."

Youji had gulped audibly before explaining about the accident and the need to bring Ken on board. Ran had listened carefully, his cold gaze freezing completely, the hate in those eyes burning their way into the brunette's soul. He had cut off Youji's rambling explanation –

"I don't care. Why was he in Aya's room?"

Youji had looked worried before casting a chastising glance in Ken's direction. The brunette had glared accusingly at him before answering.

"He was trying to… examine me!"

Ran had quirked an eyebrow at this, the anger fading slightly from his gaze.

"Youji. Explain."

"Well… you know how I like to play doctor…"

Smirking mischievously, the blonde batted his eyelashes at Ken. Ken promptly blushed. Ran sighed inaudibly and moved his katana away from Ken's throat.

"Youji. I've told you not to bring your dates on board this ship. Fuck around as much as you want to off this ship, but don't bring your dates back on it!"

"Date?" Ken yelped.

"Now Ran. You were the one who told me to cut costs. Do you know how much a decent motel room would cost?"

"Motel?" Ken squeaked.

"Besides," said Youji, completely ignoring him, "I think I've found our new mechanic. You did say that Omi couldn't handle both the flying and the maintenance."

"Hn." Ran grunted, non-committed.

Ken was rapidly losing his mind. First Kase, then Youji trying to shove things into him and flirting with him, then a madman trying to kill him and now they were talking about him being a mechanic! It was a little much to deal with.

Pushing away from the wall, he had ignored the other two and stalked away. Luck had smiled down on him because he found the entrance to the ship and was almost completely down the walkway before Youji caught up with him.

"Hey! Great news! Ran says that you can join if you want to."

"What?!"

"Yup" Youji agreed complacently "you can join with the great crew of the Weiss Kreuz."

"You're… you're crazy!"

"Maybe. But I'm sexy too, so it all balances out."

Youji struck a pose and Ken had blushed despite himself.

Considering his options, he weighed the pros and cons of the situation. If he stayed – he'd have to deal with an increasingly violent Kase. If he left –

Turning back to Youji he had demanded –

"What if I need somewhere to hide out?"

Youji had quirked a brow at him.

"From Ran? He's really not that bad once he relaxes a bit…"

"NO! Not Ran… just… from someone."

Youji had given him a long look before dragging him over to one of the bars littering that end of the docks. Pushing him into a booth, he had bolded his arms across his chest and pulled what Ken now referred to as a 'Ran'.

"Ken. Explain."

Ken had fidgeted a bit… hedged about… gotten stone drunk… and somehow confessed the entire sordid story. When he had woken up the next day, his head had ached horribly, his stuff had been scattered about the room in various boxes and he had found himself in one of the rooms aboard the Weiss Kreuz.

And the rest is history, Ken thought to himself as he pushed away from the window and headed back towards the boiler. They had all settled down into a routine of some sorts. Ran had dragged him all over the ship and made him tinker with a number of instruments to test his knowledge.

Ken had often caught himself wondering what would have happened if he had failed the redhead's tests, but he preferred not to know. Somehow, the image of that katana remained fresh in his memory.

Omi had accepted him immediately, smiling at him happily when Ken managed to fix one of his games. Youji remained ever the same, flirting outrageously. Ken had learnt to mostly ignore the older man. And Aya… Aya was the same.

Concentrating on tweaking the temperamental thermostat, Ken frowned. Everything on the ship circled around to Aya. The girl was in a coma - that was obvious enough. But then, why had Ran attacked him that first day? Who had the older man thought he was from? Why couldn't they take her to a hospital? And Omi had said… Who could be after Aya?

"Tell your damn superiors that as long as I'm alive they'll never get Aya!" 

Ken finished up and began to put his tools away, moving on autopilot and his thoughts whirled inside his head. There was some sort of mystery about the whole thing…

"Aarrgh! I'm getting a headache!"

Author's note: - That's the first chapter out. Any ideas, comments or constructive criticism is more than welcome. Big thanks to my beta reader, silver celeste, for helping so much with this chapter and dealing with erratic tenses, writing habits, strange spellings and strangeness in general. Thanks also to Lucy, who actually takes the time each morning to tell me how much she loves me, regardless of whether I've put out the kitty snacks or not. I'd love for anyone to leave a review… but bear in mind that I'm still new at all of this. Be gentle with me!

As always I remain,

(Somewhat but not completely) diabolique.

P.S. Disclaimer: - I do not own Weiss Kreuz. (The anime... not the ship).


	2. Chapter 1

_She says it's cold outside and she hands me my raincoat._

_She's always worried about things like that._

_She says it's all gonna end and it might as well be my fault._

_And she only sleeps when it's raining._

_And she screams and her voice is straining._

_She says baby,__It's 3 am I must be lonely._

_When she says baby,_

_Well I can't help but be scared of it all sometimes._

_Says the rain's gonna wash away I believe it_

_She's got a little bit of something, _

_God it's better than nothing._

_And in her color portrait world she believes that she's got it all._

_She swears the moon don't hang quite as high as it used to._

_And she only sleeps when it's raining._

_And she screams and her voice is straining._

_She says baby,__It's 3 am I must be lonely._

_When she says baby,_

_Well I can't help but be scared of it all sometimes._

_Says the rain's gonna wash away I believe it._

_She believes that life is made up of all that you're used to._

_And the clock on the wall has been stuck at three for days, and days._

_She thinks that happiness is a mat that sits on her doorway._

_But outside it's stopped raining._

_She says baby,__It's 3 am I must be lonely._

_When she says baby,_

_Well I can't help but be scared of it all sometimes._

_Says the rain's gonna wash away I believe it. _

_Oh, I believe it…_

_She says baby,__It's 3 am I must be lonely, lonely…_

_Yeah, When she says baby, _

_maybe__Well I can't help but be scared of it all sometimes._

_Says the rain's gonna wash away I believe it._

_**3 A.M. – Matchbox Twenty **_

* * *

_Ken lifted the glass to his mouth, savoring the feel of cold wine running slowly round his tongue and down his throat. His dark eyes were slightly hooded as he moved towards the window. The sky outside was a faint blue-black with a tinge of red, somehow mirroring the faint sheen the last sip of his wine held. _

_The party continued inside, bathed in tones of yellow and gold. He could hear the whispers of muted conversation mixing with the slight clink of glasses. Outside, the large banyan tree stood shadowed in reds and blues and maroons. A skeleton swung crazily, hung from one of the roots, it's bony grin taunting him._

_Safe within the warmth of a home, Ken threw his head back, raising the glass once more. A flash of black darted out in front of his eyes and suddenly, the glass slammed back against his face, shattering against his teeth and cutting his lip. A horse shout escaped as he reeled backwards, clutching at his face. _

_He could feel the small slivers of glass sliding down his throat from his instinctive swallow, cutting him up inside. He could feel them lodged inside his chest, the warmth of blood oozing around them. _

**_It hurts… so much!_**

_Through the tears of pain, he could just about make out the outline of a man, his hip thrown out slightly, framed against the warm backdrop of the sky._

_"I told you not to make me come after you, Kenken. I told you to go home and wait for me."_

**_Kase!_**

_Ken froze completely, as the older man stalked closer, his blonde hair shining in the harsh yellow glare of the lights. The image that emerged was somehow that of a halo, but Ken knew better. Kase was no angel. He whimpered slightly as the blood from his mouth began to leak through his fingers._

_"Did you somehow forget that you belong to me? DID YOU?"_

_The sharply raised tone after the previous slow drawl made the smaller man jump. Backing away, his eyes locked on to the menace visible in the other man's face. His stomach churned with fear._

_He could feel something rising up, shoving through the burning in his chest before working its way past the back of his throat. He fell to his knees and vomited glass, wine… blood – the lighter surface of the wine swirling around on the viscous blood. The slivers of glass cut deeper this second time round, embedding themselves into his palate. He could hear Kase laughing over him…_

_He screamed…_

Ken jerked awake, screaming, covered in sweat. His breath came in harsh, quick pants, his eyes darting around the familiar room.

Covering his eyes with a shaky hand, he flopped back onto his bed.

"A dream. Just a dream… Jesus!"

Drawing the sheets up around his neck, he tried to calm the shivers racing along his spine. Breathing deeply, he let his eyes fall shut, reaching towards the dark comfort of sleep once again. A faint metallic hiss echoed in the room, pulling him away from it.

Opening his eyes, his gaze directly encountered a vaguely worried and amused pair of whiskey green eyes. A warm hip pressed against his on the bed as Youji leaned over to leer into his face.

"Did you have a bad dream Kenny-boy? Want Uncle Youji to kiss it and make it all better?"

"Huh?" A half-asleep Ken is not an eloquent Ken.

"Ooh… you're so cute all rumpled and mussed. Let's rumple you up a bit more and see how much cuter you get, ne?"

"AARGH! YOUJI!"

Ken scooted away from the prying hand and glared at the tall blonde. Ignoring Ken, the other man draped his body across the empty space at the bottom of the bed. Brushing his dirty blonde hair out of his eyes, he gave Ken another come hither look and chuckled at the sputtering noises that emerged from the younger man. The fact that Ken couldn't form a coherent sentence and only seemed to get redder by the moment only served to increase his amusement, until he was sprawled on his back laughing hysterically.

That's why he didn't see the first pillow that hit him.

"Wha-"

"Ha ha!" Ken crowed in satisfaction, "That'll teach you to accost normal people at night."

"Well excu-use me, Mr. High and mighty. I was just trying to find out if you were all right. I heard a rather high-pitched scream from your room… and it didn't really sound like the fun kind." Ken reddened slightly. I thought I'd just pop along and check it out. It's not my fault that you seem to bring all my hentai urges to the fore."

The second pillow hit a grinning Youji full in the face.

Chaos ensued.

The door hissed open for the second time as a small honey colored head popped in to see what all the commotion was about. Finding both Ken and Youji crouched down at opposite ends of the bed, each hoarding their private armada of pillows and exchanging insults and promises, he rolled his eyes.

Spotting a left over pillow at his feet, Omi grinned wickedly. Launching his own attack from the rear, he stormed Youji's defenses.

"Take that!"

"Itai! Omiii… that's cheating!" Youji moaned, clutching his head.

"Yeah! Take that, Youji! Omi obviously chose the side of good." Pumping his hand into the air in victory, Ken danced about the room in glee.

Omi looked around the room. "Jeez Ken! How many pillows can one person have?!"

By this time the older blonde had somewhat recovered. Youji rounded on Omi and loomed over him, threatening stance complete with pillow. A high-pitched scream emerged, terror filled, voice cracking at its end.

Ken turned towards Omi in shock.

"It's only a game Omi. There's no need for such – "

Both ignored him. Youji suddenly looked quite grim and slapped his hand on the panel to open the door.

"Shit!" he swore under his breath.

A second scream sounded as the two of them took off down the corridor. Ken stood stock still as he registered the distinctly feminine sound.

"But there aren't any women aboard except… Aya-chan."

Ken took off down the corridor as well. Aya's room was around the end of the next corridor. He could hear his heartbeat thumping in his ears, sounding discordantly with the sounds his feet made as he sprinted down the corridor.

* * *

Aya's eyes were open when Ken entered her room… Open, and filled with terror and pain as she clutched at Youji's hand. Ran stood at the other side of the bed and was whispering soothingly to Aya. Ken couldn't really hear the words but the world of love present in those warm tones was evident to everyone in the room.

"Ran… it hurts… I can hear them… inside me! They're inside me! INSIDE ME!" Aya whimpered and then screamed.

"Youji… help her." Ran sounded so lost it almost hurt to hear.

"I can't Ran. We're out of drugs." Youji sounded almost as upset as Ran.

"Why won't they… No! I WON'T LISTEN!" Aya screamed, yanking her hand From Youji's to dig into her scalp. Youji immediately lunged to pull her hand back as Ran secured the other. Aya fought against them, kicking her legs and screaming.

"NOOOOO!"

Youji moved closer to the head of the bed so that he could calm Aya better. Ran looked almost broken as he hung grimly to Aya's other hand. The girl's strength was phenomenal as she fought with everything in her. Unfortunately, Youji's movement caused him to stop covering the doorway where Ken stood.

Aya's gaze fell on Ken and she screamed, the sound tearing in the air. She backpedaled out of the bed almost completely into Ran's arms, yanking her hands away from both the men as she scrabbled frantically at Ran's shirt. She clawed her way up him in terror, as her eyes remained locked with Ken's confused gaze.

"They've come for me! I won't go back… Ran! Help me… I can't go back!"

"No one's every taking you anywhere, Aya-chan. Not while I'm still alive." Ran firmly assured her.

"But… but… he's here…"

"That's just Ken, Aya-chan. He's the ship's mechanic… he won't hurt you." Youji moved to re-assure her. Ken remained frozen, unsure of whether to try to assure her or not. He didn't really understand what was happening. "We need him to make sure everything runs okay, okay?"

Ken finally moved forward, thinking to reassure her with his own words, but Aya reacted to the movement as one would to a nightmare suddenly emerging into reality.

"RAN!" she screamed, her hands tightening into claws as she pressed back onto him and away from the brunette. Ken froze again. Omi moved from his position at the foot of the bed to put his arm on Ken's for support.

Youji walked over to Ran. Kneeling down near the bed, he moved closer so that he could look directly into Aya's eyes. "Aya-chan. Its me… its me… so everything's going to be okay…do you trust me?"

She looked deep into his eyes. "Youji…" she whispered, her hand coming up slightly to touch the side of his face. Youji closed his eyes and leaned into the gentle touch.

"Yes… yes Aya… it's Youji…" He whispered brokenly. "Do you trust me?"

Understanding bloomed in her eyes and she smiled softly as she nodded. "Always."

Looking briefly into Ran's eyes, he sought some sort of conformation. At Ran's almost imperceptible nod he brought his hand back into a fist and let fly at Aya's chin. The girl seemed to lean forward into it and her head snapped back with the blow. Ken jerked slightly under Omi's hold at this, but the younger man held on to him.

Aya's head lolled back on Ran's shoulder as she began to slip down his chest. Ran carefully gathered her up into his arms and gently placed her on the bed. Youji carefully smoothed her sheets down, his head tilted such that his hair shaded his eyes. His hand traced softly over the slight signs of a bruise that were beginning to appear along the edge of Aya's chin.

"Ran", his voice broke slightly and he swallowed before trying again, "How much longer before we can get into port."

The redhead met his gaze quietly, his mask back in place. "Another day at least."

Youji nodded slightly, his hand gently touching the tip of Aya-chan's nose… her lips, before whirling around and stalking out of the room. Ran looked after him, understanding briefly shadowing his eyes. Looking over, he met Ken's eyes and his own iced over once again. Ken shivered slightly and backed out the door, taking Omi with him.

The smaller blonde nodded at Ran before moving outside with Ken. The redhead stayed to keep watch over his sister.

* * *

****

****

When Omi joined him in the hallway Ken immediately opened his mouth to demand an explanation but the younger boy forestalled him by raising a hand.

"I know you want an explanation, Ken. And you'll get it. But it's not to me to explain. You'll have to ask either Ran or Youji. And not tonight." The small blonde wearily rubbed his eyes. "It's been a rough night. Let's talk about all of this after whatever sleep we can get, okay?"

Ken noted the weary droop of those small shoulders. Not for the first time, he noted how small and fragile the younger boy seemed, how completely unsuitable for this sort of nomadic lifestyle. Thinking over what Omi had said, he noted the truth in his statement. The experience had been fairly traumatic for all involved and now was not really the time to discuss explanations. Tomorrow would be soon enough.

"Hai" he answered finally and moved down the corridor. Pressing the panel to enter his room, he turned to see the blonde stop two doors down at his own door.

"Omi?" he asked softly.

"Yes Ken-kun."

"Nothing… sleep tight."

"Whatever you say Ken-kun." Shadowed cornflower blue eyes smiled at him for a moment before the boy disappeared into his room.

Ken sighed slightly before moving into his own room.

Flopping down on his bed, he mentally processed everything that had happened in the last few minutes. The whole thing had lasted less than fifteen minutes and he already felt wrung though.

His eyes felt weighted and he let them slide shut. His breathing evened out in sleep.

* * *

****

****

****

It had barely been an hour before a crash sounded, jerking Ken awake. He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, blearily trying to get his bearings. A thump next door startled him again and he moved out of bed and to the door.

Walking the short distance to Youji's door, he knocked softly.

"Youji? It's Ken. You okay?"

There was no answer.

Slightly worried now, Ken pressed the panel and stood back as the door slid open. Stepping into the dark room, Ken waited for his eyes to adjust. He heard the metallic hiss and click of the door as it slid shut behind him.

After a while he could see enough to get a general idea of his surroundings. The room was almost exactly like his – the bed placed up against the wall, just under a small reinforced glass window. A small bedside lamp stood on a shelf above it. The opposite wall had a closet and a few cupboards for storage. A desk stood against the last wall, a small lamp on its surface. A chair was resting near it. And sitting on the chair was a dark figure, feet propped up on the mass of papers on the desk. Ken squinted slightly and could make out the faint outline of a bottle in the figure's hand. A second bottle lay on the ground nearby – that probably accounted for the thump he had heard.

"Youji?" Ken queried softly.

"That's me." Came the slurred reply.

Ken let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. The older man seemed fine, if a little drunk.

"You okay Youji?" Ken asked softly. "I heard a thump."

"And you came to find out if I was okay? I'm touched at your concern Kenny-boy" Youji slurred out. "But are you sure that's the only reason you came…"

Ken was confused for a moment before realization dawned. "I didn't come for sex if that's what you mean Youji. I just thought you might… I was worried, okay?!"

A faintly amused voice answered him. "One track mind Ken. I was talking about you wanting an explanation. But if that was an offer…"

Ken was really glad that it was dark so that the other man couldn't see him blush. "No!"

Youji chuckled softly. "If I wasn't so drunk I might be offended."

Ignoring that remark, Ken steered the topic away with the first thing that popped into his mind. "But what about Aya?"

Youji's harsh intake of breath was the only warning he got before a callused hand wrapped tightly around his neck.

"Aya has nothing to do with any of this… do you hear me!" the blonde growled into Ken's face

Ken nodded quickly at the slight squeeze that had accompanied the words. The sharp sour smell of whiskey was making him feel nauseous, or maybe it was just the bad memories that were being dredged up by Youji's actions.

At the nod, the taller man seemed to calm down slightly and moved back to his chair. Instead of propping up his feet again, he rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands.

Ken quickly backed away towards the door, emotions roiling inside him, making him feel light headed and panicky. He kept his eyes trained firmly on Youji, just in case the man intended to make a second attack. Not seeing where he was going, he bumped into a wall slightly to the left of the door.

At the soft thump Youji's head came up.

"Ken?" he whispered softly.

Ken stayed where he was, frozen.

"Ken, I'm sorry. It's just… after everything tonight… and you hit a sore spot. I'm sorry, okay?" the regret in the man's tone was clearly evident.

Ken processed this before nodding his assent. He moved forward carefully, showing the older man his trust. He settled himself on the bed and reached out to switch on the small bedside lamp. Bright yellow light emerged.

"Kuso!" Youji swore softly, bringing up his hand to cover his bloodshot eyes. "Ken, would you mind much if we had this conversation in the dark? My eyes are killing me!"

"Okay" Ken agreed and flipped the switch, plunging the room into darkness again.

Youji's voice floated out eerily from in front of him.

"I'm only going to tell you what I feel comfortable with you knowing. The rest of it you can try asking Ran. That okay?"

Ken thought about it.

"Aya-chan's not normal is she?"

He heard Youji sigh deeply, wearily. "No… no, she's not normal. Aya… Aya is… is special."

"And there's someone after her, right?" Ken prompted.

He could almost hear Youji weighing his words. "Youji, I'm not an idiot. I've figured that much out already whether you tell me or not."

"Yes" the sound was a sigh, seemingly wrenched from the older man's throat.

"Will we have to fight?"

"Ken…"

"Youji, don't bull-shit with me! If I'm going to be risking my life in this thing then I'd better damn well know everything about it! So, you tell me honestly, is there a chance I might die for Aya?"

The silence stretched out between them before…

"Yes." The sound was barely a whisper.

Ken drew in a sharp breath, the air hissing between his teeth. He hadn't really expected Youji to confirm that. Drawing in a fortifying breath, he went on.

"Then, don't you think I should know everything?"

Youji's voice was tormented, the sound making the hair on the back of Ken's neck stand on end.

"Not everything is mine to tell Ken. You may or may not deserve a lot of things… but I'm not going to tell you any more than I think is safe… for both you and the rest of us. You'll have to fill in the blanks with Ran."

The finality in that voice made Ken want to throw something, but his natural curiosity won out in the end.

"Okay then… tell me what you can."

* * *

****

****

Author's note: - Yup, it's a cliff hanger. Heh heh... there's a reason I'm called diabolique, you know. Anyway, big thanks to silver celeste for acting as beta reader. I don't know what I'd do if she wasn't around to make my writing readable.

**_Marsupial _**- Thanks so much for the encouragement. I'm definately going to try to keep it up. (And if I don't, celeste is always around to whip me back into shape... literally! Oh, the violence!)

**_KaraiAtsuiJoo _**- It's later now and I'm back with more! I love that you told me what you enjoyed because then I can make sure that I put in more. And I totally agree with you... long live bishounens!

**_Bengali _**- What is insanity really but true understanding of reality? (That makes little or no sense but sounds completely profound, so I'm going to leave it in there... lol.) But I'm glad it cracked you up.

**_xXLil Yu JahXx _**- I'm updating as fast as college life and muses will let meand also trying to keep Ken from seeming wimpy or intimidated by everyone. I've read a lot of stories where all Ken ever seems to do is either whine or cry, and I agree that a wimpy Ken isn't much fun. But I've also never really seen the series... so I can't give you a totally authentic Ken. My knowledge is all gleaned from fiction online or from the one Weiss Kreuz site that I visited. So basically Ken will be sort of a composite version of everything that I've read so far. If you want to tell me anything more about him, I'd love for you to drop me an e-mail.

**_Shadows of Grey _**- I never thought I'd actually write an AU fic. I generally tend to lack the imagination or descriptiveness that seems to be a prerequisite to this sort... but starngely enough, here I am and I plan to keep going. Let's see where I end up, ne?

**_HeatherR _**- I know you want to see Ran Ken goodness... I do too! I was planning to write in a little dream scene or something but the muse took over and I ended up with a nightmare. I'm not particularly kind to Kenken, am I? (looks ashamed). Anyway, I'm planning to develop that aspect slower now that I have an actual idea of where to take this fic. (Also, I've never done any major scenes before... what a strange time to discover an aspect of prudishness, ne?)

**_kasugai gummie _**- The rectal thermometer was for Aya-chan. It would be really hard to take a person's temperature with an oral thermometer if they were in a coma, ne? Therefore, it's all rectal, baby! Lol. By the way, I'm really touched that you think I have great style happening - it's one of the most meaningful complements you could give me. I'm working really hard on my style and I really think that I'm getting better with every fic that I write. So when someone notices the effort... let's just say you're one of my favorite people right now, okay?

**_Cat in the web _**- As per request... here's more!

As always I find I'm ever so vaguely,

diabolique.


	3. Chapter 2

_It's hard to rely on my good intentions  
When my head's full of things that I can't mention  
Seems I usually get things right  
But I can't understand what I did last night_

_It's hard to rely on my own good senses  
When I miss so much that requires attention  
Have to laugh at myself sometimes  
And I can see that I'm not blind_

_There's little relief  
Give us reprieve  
for all the things I've left behind  
I'm positive that I'm not blind_

_I'm not afraid things won't get better  
But it feels like this has gone on forever  
You have to cry with your own blue tears  
Have to laugh with your own good cheer_

_It's hard to rely on my good intentions  
When my head's full of things that I can't mention  
Seems I usually get things right  
But I can't understand what I did last night._

_There's little relief  
Give us reprieve  
Imagining the world outside  
I'm positive that I'm not blind._

_I can't be hard on you,  
'cause you know I've been there too,  
learned a lot of things from you._

_But life gives little relief  
Give us reprieve  
And when everyone is cold as ice  
I clench my fists and close my eyes  
Imagining the world outside  
But I can see that I'm not blind_

**_Good Intentions – Toad the Wet Sprocket_**

* * *

**__**

**__**

Ken could hear his heart pounding in his chest, the sound echoing through his ears and at his temples. His breath sounded irregular and out of sync with the quick paced thumps. He continued to stalk his way down to the rec. room of the ship. Maybe he would be able to think there… maybe he could breathe.

_"Okay then… tell me what you can."_

He hadn't been prepared for Youji's revelations, hadn't been prepared for the depth of the shit he'd stepped into. The blonde had given him a carefully edited version, probably sparing both of them the more sordid details – the bare bones of the last five years of their lives. And what he had heard…

Ken considered himself to be a person of fairly active imagination but nowhere in the depths of his worst fantasies could he have thought of something so… so…

"Evil." He murmured, completing his thoughts aloud. Horrible and morbid and repulsive in the extreme.

Stalking into the room, he vaulted over the back of the couch… only to fly off the hard surface he encountered and land in a tumbled heap in a nearby corner.

"OOF!"

"What the fuck!"

From the depths of what he had assumed to be an empty couch, a pair of violet eyes glared at him. The redhead rubbed at his stomach with one hand, the other hand still slightly outstretched from the tossing motion he had applied on the brunette. A bottle of brandy rolled under the couch at the same time and Ken rolled his eyes.

"What? Is _everyone_ on this ship getting drunk today?" he grumbled to himself mentally. "Did I miss a memo or something?"

Glaring back at Ran, he moved to rub his somewhat bruised posterior. With everything that had gone on that day, his temper was about ready to explode.

"Shimatta!" he cursed fluently as his hand encountered a particularly sore area. He had always bruised rather easily.

The redhead's glare seemed to intensify at this rampant use of bad language and his eyebrows rose eloquently. Ken bristled, his muscles bunching slightly in preparation for the brawl he was sure was going to occur.

"What?" he growled out, leaning back slightly so as to get his feet under him but maintaining his crouched position.

Ran's eyes narrowed even further at the implications of Ken's posture. A low hiss emerged from his clenched teeth before he rolled off the couch into a defensive position as well, fists tensed and ready.

Silence stretched between them as each waited for the other to make the first move. Ran, still and silent as the minutes crept by, and Ken, practically vibrating with repressed nervous energy. In some dim corner of his mind, he realized that he was practically egging the older man on, was looking for any sort of relief from the revelations of the past hour. He could have easily apologized to Ran - it was his fault. After all, he had jumped on the other man without checking to see whether the sofa was unoccupied. But in his defense, it was almost five in the morning and he hadn't thought anyone else was up.

Deciding to apologize, he leaned forward slightly. The next thing he knew, about six foot two of enraged redhead was flying straight at him. Ken barely had time to duck as a pale fist shot out toward his nose. As such, it hit the edge of his cheekbone and sent his head snapping back. A second fist curved in from the side and hit him straight in the solar plexus.

The breath whooshed out of him as he stumbled back, spots dancing before his eyes. His back hit an end table, sending it crashing to the floor. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ran spring forward and instinctively brought his feet up, kicking out against the older man's already bruised abdomen. He grinned at the curse he heard as the redhead crashed into the opposite wall from the force of the blow.

His adrenaline kicked in. Gathering himself back into a half bent stance, he ran forward and rammed his shoulder hard into Ran's stomach, pushing the other man back against the wall again. Ran held his shoulders tightly as he pushed back to prevent further damage to his stomach. Grinning in triumph, Ken was about to punch him in the side when the redhead brought up his knee, hitting him hard in his abdomen and taking him off his feet.

Crashing to the floor in surprise, he rolled quickly to the side. Ran landed right next to him. Ken automatically flipped over so as to straddle the other man and brought his fist back for the deciding punch. Violet eyes flashed at him in anger and then…

"_I'll never forget his eyes. Ran almost went crazy when we couldn't find her… he looked anywhere… everywhere… spent every dime he owned on anything that would give us a clue. I gave up so much… but he gave up more… and then I gave up…"_

_The sound of liquid hitting a glass in the dark, the red tip of a cigarette glowing out of the shadows._

_"He found her in the end, poor bastard. But she wasn't just Aya-chan anymore by then. I was with him when we walked through that door…"_

_Choked sobs echoing through the room. _

_"Aya… Oh God… Aya…" _

Violet eyes staring at him –

Daring him –

Ken hesitated, eyes flickering with doubt. Ran took immediate advantage of the moment, bucking his hips and throwing the brunette off him before rolling over to straddle the smaller man. He showed no hesitation in throwing his own punch.

Spots danced in front of Ken's eyes as his head snapped back against the floor from the force of the blow. His ears rang as the room spun crazily, blinking in and out of focus. A pair of violet eyes danced at the edge of his vision.

A weight pushed against his chest as another fist hit his jaw, making it harder for him to breathe. Red swam in front of his eyes, egging on the anger erupting just beneath the surface.

Roaring, he pushed forward against the weight, face contorting with the effort. A dull crash sounded as Ran pitched backward. Ken bent forward coughing, as air filled his choked lungs once more.

Staggering to his feet, he threw himself forward onto Ran, as the man lay sprawled against the wall. The smack of flesh hitting flesh echoed through the room. An elbow hit his gut as his eyes connected with violet once more, violence simmering in their brown shine.

The two of them rolled about the floor, each struggling for supremacy. Ran groaned as Ken brought his knee up sharply, pausing mid-fight to hold himself.

"Son of a Bitch!" he howled in agony.

Ken took immediate advantage of the situation, grabbing Ran's head and banging it repeatedly against the floor.

"Had – " _thump _" – enough – " _thump _" – yet?"

"Fuck you!" Ran growled, kicking out with his feet, managing to dislodge Ken slightly. The brunette grunted, repositioning himself to launch a different attack.

As he leaned back to get his bearings, Ran kicked out with his leg, managing to catch him on the ankle.

"Fuck!" he swore as his leg gave out beneath him, throwing him onto Ran and knocking the breath out of both of them.

"Ugh!"

The two of them lay Sprawled on top of each other as they struggled to get their breath back. Ken raised his head to glare at Ran, his breath huffing noisily between his lips. Ran glared back at him, equally powerless in the moment. Heat built between them as they stared at each other.

Later, Ken would find it hard to remember exactly who had moved first. Lips mashed against lips as violence took another turn. Hands grabbed roughly, tearing away clothes, tearing at flesh, hair frantically. Each struggled to keep control of the other, biting and clawing in a frenzy.

At some point, Ken found himself on his stomach; a triumphant Ran perched on top of his hips, tearing at his pants.

"Looks like I won."

"Go fuck yourself."

"Why bother when I have you?"

Thinking quickly while he could think at all, Ran pulled Ken's shirt half over his face, enough to cover the other man's face but not enough to pull the shirt completely off. Running his fingers over the tanned back revealed, he leaned in and nipped at the taut skin, then bit harder drawing a muffled cry of pain and pleasure from the brunette.

Jerkily, he unfastened the smaller man's pants and pulled them quickly over his ankles. Leaning back, he unfastened his own pants, watching the younger man struggle with his t-shirt.

The rest of the night was lost to sweat and pleasure.

* * *

Ken sat up in bed, heart pounding and chest burning. The room was silent – none of the groaning sounds or harsh pants that had so echoed through his ears.

"A dream?" he wondered out loud. "Great! What an amazing time to rediscover my hormones! And with Ran, no less!"

"What with Ran, Ken-kun?" Omi questioned from the doorway.

"AARGH!"

**Thump!** Ken fell off his bed, his feet tangled in the blankets from his instinctive jump.

"Zakennayo! That Hurt!" he wailed out loud. "Omi, you could have warned me…"

"Warned you about what, Ken-kun? I heard you talking and I thought that I'd come get you for breakfast since you were up. ButnowIthinkyoushouldcomewheneveryoureready", the boy hurriedly finished, blushing bright red.

Confused, Ken opened his mouth to ask the blonde to repeat his last sentence when the door hissed open again and a pair of bloodshot hazel-green eyes poked into the room, peering over the rims of dark glasses.

"Hey, have any of you guys seen… Whoa boy!" Youji hurriedly ran in and clapped a hand over Omi's wide blue eyes. "Ken! _What_ were you thinking?"

"What!" Ken blushed. There was no way Youji could actually tell what he had been dreaming about, right? There was no way Youji could know that –

"Jesus! Ken! Not that I mind the view much but don't you think the chibi here is a little young for the display?"

"What display?"

"_That_ display", Youji answered, indicating with his hand. Ken looked down to see browned torso and below that…

"ACK!"

Scrambling, Ken hastily pulled the sheets up to cover his nakedness. His face flamed deeply red, getting redder by the minute as the realization sank in that Youji and Omi… little Omi… had seen him naked! Ken wanted to sink right through the re-enforced steel floor. _Why_ did these things have to happen to him?

Groaning softly, he anchored the sheets firmly around his waist before standing. A twinge of pain in his nether regions made him pause for a minute.

There was no reason his ass should hurt so much… not unless…

"OH MY GOD!" Ken wailed.

"What?" Youji queried, his hand tightening over Omi's eyes and resisting the attempts the blue-eyed boy was making to remove it.

"Ken-kun, are you all right?" the younger boy asked, sounding vaguely worried. "If it's about me seeing you naked… that's not such a big deal, you know. I mean… I do live around Youji. I'm not a complete innocent…"

Ken paused briefly in his reflections of last night's session with Ran to give Youji a knowing look. A slight flush covered the older blonde's cheeks as he answered the unspoken question.

"It's not what you're thinking Ken! Omi's talking about walking in on me too… You're not the only one around here who sleeps naked, you know?" Youji huffed out defensively, blushing slightly.

Omi smirked slightly before batting Youji's now lax hand away. "It's all right, both of you. It's not like you guys have anything I haven't seen before."

"But you haven't seen any of mine before" Ken mumbled, embarrassed.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I probably have a lot more than anything you've seen before… so there! And stop looking so amused, Kenny-boy, I'm not the one who flashed the chibi this morning in all my glory!" Youji growled out.

Omi and Ken both laughed at the conflicting expressions of pride and embarrassment on Youji's face, although Ken's laughter was a little tempered by Youji's last shot.

"Whatever… Anyway, I'm really hungry so I'll be in the kitchen if anyone needs me. So come quickly if you expect me to make you guys anything, okay? Oh, and Ken-kun, you should really put something on that eye… and maybe your jaw too." And the younger blonde left, footsteps soft and gradually fading away as he made his way down the corridor.

Youji looked after him with a smirk, his hair falling forward slightly to cover his profile from Ken's view. Ken meanwhile rubbed absently at his sore jaw, trying to figure out what the previous night had been about.

"So… someone got some last night…"

Youji's taunting words echoed through the room for a moment before they actually registered with Ken. All the blood in the brunette's body rushed straight to his cheeks (His _other _cheeks! Hentai!)

"WHAT?" he practically howled, dropping the sheet in shock. Only quick reflexes saved Youji from a second peep show.

Ken bit his lip as he regarded the knowing expression on Youji's face. There couldn't be any way that Youji knew… Please God… I'll do anything… I'll clean my room… I'll… I'll volunteer to wash the dishes for a week… anything… Please God…

Youji grinned evilly; cutting into Ken's various pleas and promises. "Weeellll… seems that old Ranny-boy's got it. And here I thought that he was frigid… Never thought you had it in you to melt the icicle, Ken."

Cackling slightly with glee, the older man sprawled out in Ken's chair, disregarding the pile of clothes that was pushed to the floor by his actions and fixed Ken with a gleeful look.

"So? Tell Uncle Youji everything… and don't bother skimping on the details. I've probably done it all before… but details never hurt." The blonde tipped the chair back to tilt on its back legs and propped his feet on the base of Ken's bed.

"Ummmnn… What makes you think anything happened?" Ken tried prevaricating, his hands nervously twisting the sheets tighter around his waist.

Youji scoffed and waved his hand in Ken's direction. "Let's see… was it… Gee, I don't know… the fact that you never sleep naked? Or could it be the huge hickies that are covering you from waist upward… and maybe downward too, eh?" Youji leered, "Or maybe it's the fact that I heard some noises last night and was worried enough to investigate. Soooo… Do tell!"

"You SAW us?" Ken squeaked, completely mortified. Oh dear God, please strike me dead now!

"Well… I didn't really see anything. I'm not the voyeur type, you know? I just heard a bit – You know the whole 'Oh yeah… harder…' section. Geez Ken, anyone ever tell you that you get really vocal during – "

"Stop right there!" Ken hurried out. "I'm not telling you anything. Now - out!"

"You're kidding me! I've waited all my life to hear a story like this and you're throwing me out?" Youji whined, stubbornly settling himself even further back in his chair. "You couldn't be so mean…"

"OUT!" Ken repeated, muscles bunching slightly.

"All right, all right already. Yeesh! Anyone ever tell you that you're not really a cuddler after – "

"YOUJI!"

"I'm going… I'm going. Don't get your undies in a knot… Oh wait; you aren't wearing them, are you? Makes a person wonder what made you so tense. I always feel really rested after I get some – "

"Youji… I like you… but I will hurt you…" Ken growled.

" – action." The blonde completed. Snickering, he made his way out into the hallway, pausing only to take a last parting shot.

"Must be the lack of sleep, eh? Or did you get _frost_ bitten?" Youji's cackles echoed down the hallway.

"Mental note: must ask Ran about getting a lock for my door", Ken muttered out loud, finally letting the sheet drop. Moving to the clothes that Youji had shoved off the chair, he picked out underclothes, a pair of shorts and an old ratty t-shirt before walking into the attached bathroom.

* * *

Showered and somewhat refreshed, Ken ambled towards the kitchen. He had spent almost an hour in the shower talking himself through the events of last night. Between Youji's revelations and Ran's jumping him, Ken was more confused than he could ever remember being. As a result, part of the hour was also passed with Ken periodically thumping his head against the nearest wall in frustration.

His stomach growled loudly causing him to quicken his pace. Further analyzing could wait until after breakfast. A beautiful vision of oatmeal with banana slices floated in front of him. Ken continued to fantasize, adding in bacon and eggs in a side plate with toast and a tall cool glass of orange juice…

Humming with contentment, he practically floated into the kitchen, eyes glazed over, salivating heavily. The sounds of Omi and Youji arguing over a burnt dish in the sink filtered vaguely into his conscious but he chose to ignore them. Walking towards the kitchen counters, he picked up his plate and turned to sit at the table. Only to encounter…

Protein bars!

"NOOOOOOO!" Ken moaned.

"What?" Youji and Omi asked simultaneously, bickering put on pause.

"Protein bars! No way… I _need_ a healthy breakfast!" Ken whined. Youji slapped his forehead in aggravation while Omi looked almost as upset.

"I know Ken-kun. That's why I actually went into our grain stores and got out some Oats. But Youji-kun didn't watch the stove like he was supposed to and now it's all burnt…" The young blonde pouted.

"Youji…" Ken growled, advancing on the older man menacingly.

"Now, now Ken. I didn't hear Omi; I swear it. And besides, what's the big deal with oatmeal anyway? I told Omi to try hunting out – "

"Sacrilege!" Ken howled, pouncing on Youji. Omi attacked from his other side, giggling.

The three of them tumbled to the ground with Youji cursing loudly, Ken loudly exclaiming about the wonders of oatmeal and Omi giggling hysterically.

"Kuso! Get off me you – "

"It's good for digestion and not only that, it tastes pretty darn good – "

"Ahahahaha… Youji-kun… heheh – "

"I don't care about oatmeal, you idiot! Get _off _me before I shove that oatmeal right where – "

" – considered one of the healthiest breakfast's of all time – "

"Ehehe… Ken-kun…hehehehehe – "

"What's going on?" a cold voice filtered through.

Ken froze almost instantly, sprawled over Youji. Omi was half on Ken and half on Youji's legs, still giggling. Youji smirked at Ken knowingly before shoving both him and Omi off.

The redhead stood at the entrance to the kitchen, arms crossed. A black turtleneck and dark slacks covered any evidence of the previous night's activities, except the large bruise covering his left cheekbone; unlike Ken who's t-shirt had already hitched up slightly during his brief tussle showing more than one bruise or hickey. Becoming suddenly self-conscious, the brunette tugged his shirt down and helped Youji up. Omi looked carefully at Ran's impassive expression and Ken's flushed face before nodding his head sagely.

"Nothing much, Ran. Ken here was just educating me on the wonders of oatmeal." Youji stated, waving his hand languidly.

"Hn", Ran grunted before moving forward to check on the contents of the kitchen sink. A slight grimace of distaste crossed his normally emotionless features before he moved to the table and tore open the packaging on a protein bar.

Not once did he glance Ken's way.

Moving quietly, the three of them settled themselves around the table as well, grabbing protein bars at random. An uncomfortable silence settled over the meal.

Ken ignored Youji's knowing eyes and Omi's innocent ones and concentrated on his protein bar instead. A certain pair of violet eyes flashed through his mind but he steered far away from the memories that brought on. Ran obviously was ignoring what had happened last night, so he would too. Simple as that.

"I'm gonna go run an engine check, okay? I'll see you guys later" he mumbled around his last mouthful of tasteless protein bar before hastily standing up, wiping his hands nervously on the back of his shorts.

Bolting from the table, a cold voice stopped him.

"After that, come see me. I believe we have something to discuss."

* * *

Author's note: - Whew! I can't believe it's finally out! This particular chapter almost made me lose my mind! Although the song featured is 'Good Intentions', the song 'Du Hast' by Rammenstein goes really well with the fight scene. (I wrote the scene to this particular song cause Toad was making me feel too mellow.) Big, big thanks to silver celeste for braving the hysterical fits of an over involved author (that would be me) and giving me her real opinion despite anything at hand being thrown in her direction. Also, HUGE thanks out to Moonraven for helping me realize that a touch of lime is better than a cartload of lemon and for bearing with me e-mailing every chance I got. You could never know how much your encouragement has helped. Extra Chichiri for you!

I know that a few of you guys might be disappointed by the lack of lemon and quite frankly, I'm a bit disappointed too. But I've discovered that I suck at lemons (pun intended). So everyone is just going to have to bear with light lime and me.

**Phoinos** – Heh heh heh. What can I say? There was a reason I chose this particular nickname. But lookie… not really a major cliffy now, is it? So, am I forgiven for that last one?

**Mondtanz** – See? Ran Ken goodness just like you and I wanted. I haven't really sent the show firefly, so I'm going to have to ask what it was about. (Although I do remember a puppet show on TV from when I was a kid called Fireball XL5 that I loved madly! "I wanna be a fireball…" :diabolique hums off-key: )

**Akikaze-san** – I couldn't wait to get the two of them together despite everything I said. (Looks shamefaced). But… everything that happened was in the heat of the moment, so it's not really a relationship either. Basically, the night between the two of them was just release for both of them. Now… repercussions!

**xXLil Yu Jah Xx** – I really can't help with your question since I haven't read any of your work yet. But if you'd send it to me (elexir rediffmail.com), I'd love to read it. As for being a good writer automatically when you reach college… I'd say that it doesn't always work out. Loads of writers are really good even before and some don't make it even when they're old and gray. I'm in college and I'm nowhere as good as I know I can be. I read my stuff (sometimes only a day after I've written it) and I can't stand it! But you've got to put that behind you and just keep going until you do get better (and trust me it works!) I've improved so much since I started writing fan fiction that I can barely measure it. What I'm trying to say is… keep at it and you'll get better. I know that I have.

**KaraiAtsuiJoo** – Yup, college is quite a pain at this point. Barely the first week out and quizzes have already been scheduled. It's enough to make me cry! (Or burn the building down... hmnn...) Thanks for adding me to your favs. I'll try hard to be worthy.

**Jen-chan** – And here I was working so hard to be weird… (Pout). Lol. Anyway, I'm really glad that you're enjoying the story. Hang on to your hat though, there's a lot more to go!

**HeatherR** – I know I said I would take it slowly… but I thought the tension would build better this way. Basically, I went to sleep one night and dreamt up the lemon scene that was originally there. Unfortunately, I'm not a good lemon writer and I had to edit that out. But I'm really happy that you enjoyed the dream sequence – it was actually based on one of my own dreams. I woke up choking with fear yet strangely thrilled with the clarity of it all. I had to write it down immediately and so, Ken's dream sequence was born.

**Kasugai gummie** – I love that you think my stuff is different! (Does patented happy dance around the room) Yay me! You're definitely still a favorite…

**Shadows of Grey **– Only one review made it, but I don't mind. I love that you love the story and that you enjoyed the dream sequence. I didn't get it down exactly the way it was in my mind… but I won't crib about that any more or else celeste is likely to take a hatchet to my head. Thanks for actually taking the effort to come back and review all over again. Honestly, I'm not sure if I would have done the same… but then I'm congenitally lazy…

**Leokitsune** – I love that you enjoy Youji. Celeste often jokes with me about the fact that I've used all my own lines for Youji. The whole "But I'm sexy so it all balances out" and the "do tell" sections are practically patented diabolique.

**Nitrogen narcosis** – I love the name (does flashback to one year of medical college). Matchbox 20 is one of my favorite bands too. I know that the first two chapters had songs by them, but I thought I would go with something different for this particular chapter. I hope it worked…

P.S. If you enjoy matchbox 20, you'd probably love Toad the Wet Sprocket and Hootie and the Blowfish. They're some of my favorite bands.

As always I find myself hoping to be just a little,

Diabolique.


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